Stop. Collaborate and Listen.

I was thinking about strengths this morning and how they guide the way we do things.I like that smart people have created assessments to help us make some good guesses aboutour personal operating systems.

It is weird to see how strengths seem to come and go as I repeat assessments over the year.Somewhere along the way WOO (the magnetism to win others over) dropped completely off my list (it used to be my #3). Not sure what happened there, it could have been middle school ministry. Or parenthood. Or just my panicky over stimulated existence in general.

Regardless, I can see my list at work.

IdeationInputMaximizerActivatorStrategic

I love and am drawn to spaces where “we” is greater than “me”.I feel alive in places where ideas surface and thoughts can be discovered and shared.I feel the most joy when ideas and input connect in places and with peoplewho can make them happen. I guess that’s why I like making new friends.

I love seeing how other peoples personalities and perspectives can workfor the greater good.

This happened recently when my husband and I were having a conversation aboutculture and the church. I was curious about a song–sort of a sad song–that the world is singing and responding too. I felt like there was something there that we needed to tap into but I wasn’t sure how or when or why. What I know about my husband is that my questions aren’t wasted on him.

He has strengths of his own..if I’m remembering correctly, a few of them are, discipline, learner, communication…He can typically make something more of my questions and get to the heart of why I’m asking them.

He did it by writing a message for this weekends services that left truly moved and inspired.I don’t think I blinked. As the song of my questions was sung in the space, I was curious. What can we learn from this?

And our team of musicians, each in their own style in their unique venues, owned a song that the world is singing. I love that kind of collaboration. It’s never owned. It’s shared. And it means that we are listening to each other.

You may laugh at the reference. But, Vanilla Ice and DJ Earthquake were on to something when they wrote the lyrics….stop…collaborate… and listen. I hope to be doing a lot more of that this year. Yes, brand new inventions.

Want to read my husband’s perspective? Here is Coy’s blog on how he is learning to communicate with pop culture. “Say Something”